The Eye of the Wolf

by Sadie Vanderveen

  Stephen laughed and moved on to help the lovers in the corner clear their table before leaving.

  Will frowned at Stephen’s retreating back. Once he was sure Stephen wasn’t coming back to their table anytime soon, he turned his attention back to his table. He found Mikayla leaning on her hand and grinning at him, waiting for something, waiting for him, he was sure. He scowled at her and dove into the lasagna Stephen had placed in front of him. The Patio served the best lasagna outside of Italy that he had ever eaten. It was fragrant and spicy. Perfect!

  “What are you smirking at?” Will asked through a huge bite of noodles, cheese, sauce, and pepperoni.

  Mikayla smiled larger and tapped a finger on his nose. “You.” She picked up her own fork and dove into the pasta set before her. It was plain, with olive oil and Parmesan cheese. Exactly like she liked her pasta. Will thought it was disgraceful, but she enjoyed the combination along with the spicy garlic bread that accompanied the dish. She expertly wrapped the noodles around her fork using her spoon as Stephen had shown her the first night she had been in Amor. She looked at Will before she took the bite. He was glowering at her and waiting for an explanation. “Are you jealous of Stephen, Will?” She arched an eyebrow and waited a heartbeat before calmly slipping the fork in her mouth and sliding the pasta off of the fork. Her eyes closed and a small moan of pleasure escaped her lips.

  Will licked his lips as he wished for just one moment that he was a fork. What pleasure it would be to be a fork. He swallowed stiffly and focused his own attention on the plate in front of her. “No, of course not.”

  Mikayla smiled as she chewed the pasta. She continued to eat her food and watched Will out of the corner of her eye as he worked his way through the lasagna. A piece of her wanted him to suffer, wanted him to feel that stab of desire that she felt every time he smiled at her or he entered her mind. Another piece of her wanted him to disappear. She couldn’t afford to have entanglements of the romantic nature. She didn’t understand the emotions she suffered through every time she thought of him. It had never happened before, not with Alex, and not with any of the boyfriends who had come before him. These emotions had to be stopped, but there was a fear that if she stopped them, they would never return.

  Will stared at his plate, refusing to look at her again, refusing to be party to her small games. “So, what did Kankaredes want?”

  Mikayla glanced over at him and continued to twirl her pasta around her fork. She shrugged self-consciously. “He wanted to tell me that I was to be escorted around the Secluded City the day after tomorrow.”

  Will’s eyes remained focused on his plate. He calmly cut noodles and pushed them around his plate. His calm demeanor betrayed the raw nerves within him. His voice was smooth as silk. “What time is the tour, maybe I can join you. Remember, I’ve got that shoot off island tomorrow, but maybe I’ll be back in time.”

  Mikayla looked at his hand playing with his food. His head bent, sandy strands of hair playing innocently in the breeze. Disappointment filled her, but she smiled as if it were no big deal. After all, where had that sudden desire for him to be there all the time come from. She was on Amor to do a job: a job Will wasn’t really a part of. She glanced up as his warm fingers wrapped around her own. His eyes were warm and a smile filled his face.

  “Hey, don’t be sad. You can tell me all about it when I get back.” He winked. “Maybe over dinner?”

  Mikayla grinned and tugged her hand free. Disappointment remained but warmth spread through her. Her fingers tingled from where he had touched her. She grinned. “Are you asking me out?”

  Will’s grin grew. “Heavens no! Wouldn’t that be some sort of harassment? You are after all my superior.”

  Mikayla blushed and nervously moved her wine glass around the table. She felt the heat on her neck spread upwards, warming her cheeks and the tips of her ears. She couldn’t explain her reaction to him.

  Will laughed and gave her hand a friendly kiss. He then picked up his fork and gestured towards her food. “Please, Mikayla, eat your dinner. I know you didn’t eat any lunch today.” He shoved his own fork in his mouth and talked around the food. “You were too busy deciphering Malachi’s diary to eat, apparently.”

  Mikayla began to eat again, willing her heart to beat normally. She wished for just a moment that she was back in Washington and there were no diversions from her professional goals. After a few bites, she smiled coyly in his direction. “Will, what can you tell me about the Secluded City?”

  Chapter 10

  Will groaned and set his fork carefully in his dish. He leaned back in his chair and looked out at the ocean. He sighed heavily. “Mikayla, I have a hard time believing they are actually going to allow you to tour the Secluded City. It isn’t a friendly place.” He looked back at Mikayla who only watched him over the rim of her wine glass with a raised eyebrow. “Okay, fine, I’ll tell you what I know.” He ran a hand through his hair, mussing it.

  Mikayla smiled to herself. He was completely adorable with his perfect tawny hair mussed in the fading daylight. “Tell me.”

  Will watched Stephen clear their plates and then ordered tiramisu for both of them. Then, he leaned back in his chair and rested his feet on the railing so he was watching the ocean roll in and out on the sandy beach beyond. He was silent for a moment before he spoke. “I went to school with the Dauphin in Britain, Mikayla. I know the family very well. When I said the Secluded City wasn’t a very friendly place, I meant it.” He glanced over at her. She was listening closely. He returned to the ocean.

  “The City was built by Henry’s son, Richard. There is a lot of mythology and folk lore that surrounds the Secluded City. Most of the folk lore surrounds the death of King Henry.” Will looked at Stephen as he set down their dessert. Will smiled slightly, but waited until Stephen had disappeared back into the main part of the restaurant. “The Secluded City was originally built as a fortress to protect the royal family and the families of the knights who traveled with Henry from England on the Crusades. What they were being protected from, we really aren’t sure. Some say the curse of the Eye of the Wolf was the reason for the fortress, but that’s if you believe in curses.”

  Mikayla listened carefully to Will’s description. She had read something similar to his narrative in the book on Mediterranean history that had been given to her when she began her research. “What else can you tell me? Maybe about the royal family since you know them so well.”

  Will licked his fork in reflection. “Hmm, well, I can tell you that you will never meet the King nor will you ever meet the Crown Prince.”

  Mikayla arched an eyebrow. “Why is that?”

  “Well, the King is very ill. He’s been to all sorts of doctors both here and the mainland. No one seems to know what is wrong with him.” Will wiped his mouth delicately with a napkin and sipped from his wine glass. “The Crown Prince lived in London and in Athens. He’s never here.” When Mikayla nodded, Will shrugged. “Did you also know that his birth name is William, just like mine?” Mikayla’s grin was returned. “Of course, he has absolutely no responsibilities until his grandfather passes away, his father becomes king, and he becomes the Dauphin. Some say he is a wastral, but I think he is just misguided.”

  “Hmm…must be a nice life.”

  Will shrugged again and dipped his fork into Mikayla’s tiramisu. He smirked at her as he slipped the fork between his lips. “Momma’s boy, they say. I never thought so, but some say he’s a real wimp and spoiled too.”

  “Okay, what about the rest of the family.” Mikayla defended her tiramisu from Will’s fork. A minor joust occurred between their forks as Will tried to get his fork into the dessert, and Mikayla attempted to prevent him. In the end, Will prevailed. Mikayla pushed the plate over to him with a mild look of disdain, but there was laughter behind the look.

  Will sneered at her as he bit into the dessert. Pure pleasure passed over his face. “The Dauphin is a brilliant man who works very hard. He was educated in Europe
where he met the Princess Royale. He’s been groomed his entire life to be King of Amor. Everything he does has the best of Amor at heart.” Will nodded his head. “The Dauphin is a good man. His actual name is Andrew, in case you were wondering.”

  “What about the Princess Royale?”

  “Her real name is Elizabeth Chambers. She met the Dauphin in Vienna, Austria where she was playing the violin in the Viennese Orchestra. Rumor has it, the Dauphin attended a performance where she had a solo. It was love at first sight, supposedly.” He smiled across at her. “I suppose someone as practical as yourself doesn’t believe in love at first sight.”

  Mikayla tapped her fork on the tablecloth and avoided his eyes. “Just because I haven’t seen it, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.” Mikayla met his eyes. “I’m Irish by descent, but I’ve never seen a leprechaun. Just because I haven’t seen a leprechaun doesn’t mean I don’t believe in them.”

  “Interesting.” Will ran his fingers over his chin and pretended to twirl a non-existent mustache. When Mikayla laughed, he smiled at her and pushed a tendril of hair behind her ear. “I like the sound of your laugh. You should do it more often.” His voice was soft, and the lilt in it was music to Mikayla’s ears.

  She swallowed with difficulty but fought the spell he was casting. She sat back in her seat and looked away to the sea. “What about the Crown Princess?”

  Mikayla’s voice broke the spell Will was falling under. He blinked twice and realized he had been lost in the clear blue of her eyes and the atmosphere created by the softly playing Mozart from the patio’s speakers and the ocean crashing in the distance. He leaned back in his chair and contemplated the waves rolling in and out. His mouth was dry. “Well, her real name is Victoria. She is the twin sister of the Crown Prince. Where the Crown Prince is intelligent, the Crown Princess is a twit.”

  Mikayla smirked. “Really.”

  “Oh heavens, yes. She’s is probably the stupidest person I have ever met. She’s sweet and very talented, but there just isn’t a lot of brain power in her head.”

  Mikayla nodded. “I saw a piece of her work at the museum. She is very talented. It was reminiscent of Da Vinci.”

  Will nodded in agreement. “She is very talented, but she just isn’t very bright.” He reached onto the table and refilled both Mikayla’s wine glass and his own. “Of all of the family members, she is probably the one you will have the best opportunity to speak with. She loves to meet new people and to talk to the press.”

  Mikayla frowned. “I’m not exactly the press.”

  Will shrugged. “Close enough for her.” He stood from his chair and pulled Mikayla from hers. “Come, I’ll walk you home.”

  Mikayla smiled. “All right, but tonight, we walk through the sand.”

  Will grinned and began pulling off his shoes. “Ah, a woman after my own heart.” He rolled up the cuffs of his pants and stepped off of the patio into the sand that was still warm from the day’s sun. He held out a hand and moved his finger to beckon Mikayla to join him. “Come, Luv, let us frolic in the sand.”

  Mikayla slipped her sandals off of her feet and stepped from the hard, sun-baked brick into the welcoming squish of sand between her toes. It was warm and wrapped itself around her feet like a warm blanket. Mikayla sighed with contentment. “Now, this is heavenly.”

  Will grinned and walked towards the surf, away from the lights of the restaurant. As he neared the water, the light around him faded into shadows. He was a tall, broad-shouldered silhouette against the black sea. His voice was wistful as he took Mikayla’s hand in his own. The fit was perfect. Her slim fingers and palm were wrapped comfortably in his large, capable hands with the rough calluses created by the chemicals used in developing photographs. It was soothing and comforting to walk hand-in-hand, in the moonlight with a friend. For that was what Will had become, Mikayla mused, a friend, something she hadn’t had in a very long time. Although her heart beat faster at his touch and a tension gathered in her abdomen at the sound of his name, Mikayla knew that Will was her friend, and that there could never be anything but friendship between them.

  “I worked more on the translation of the diary today.” Mikayla’s voice floated across the night air. “It seems that Malachi was very nervous about the people who inhabited the island prior to his family’s arrival.”

  Will looked off into the water. “Really?”

  Mikayla nodded and her voice picked up pace like it always did when she was excited and had discovered something new. “According to the entry I was translating today, Malachi was concerned about the way the Crusaders had taken the island and then built the Secluded City.” She pushed a windblown tendril from her mouth. “Apparently, there was some sort of rebellion during his father’s time so that would be during the reign of Richard. The rebellion was quite costly for the royal family and its followers.” Mikayla stopped and watched the water lap at her feet. The diary had concerned her; if her translations were correct, the history of Amor wasn’t as sunny as historians had written for the past 900 years.

  Will pushed her hair from her face and tipped her chin so that he could see into her eyes. They were thoughtful and confused. “What else did it say?”

  Mikayla moved her head away and began to walk again. “That was as far as I got. Malachi did mention earlier in the diary the death of his grandfather, Henry. Malachi expressed concerns about the way Henry died.” She looked up at Will. “Do you know anything about Henry’s death? I haven’t been able to find any reports other than ‘natural causes’.”

  Will grinned. “Well, I don’t know what historians have said, but I do know that folk lore around here reports that he was butchered.” He turned Mikayla so that she faced the tall walls of the Secluded City in the distance. The gray stone of the walls rose out of the darkness like the white cliffs of Dover. He pointed to the guard tower where a light glimmered faintly like a beacon. “You see that parapet and the guard tower with the light?” When she nodded, he leaned in close so that his breath was warm against her neck and fluttered the hair surrounding her ear. A tingle ran down her spine at the intimate contact. His voice was soft, a whisper above the sounds of the rolling waves. “They say that Henry walks the parapet each night looking for vengeance for his death. He lights the fire in the guard tower as a signal to his murderer to come and meet. When that murderer does come, Henry will seek his final revenge and his soul will be at rest.”

  Mikayla shuddered involuntarily as Will wrapped his arm around her shoulders from behind and rested his chin on his crossed arms.

  His words were warm against her neck. “Are you cold, Luv?”

  Mikayla shook her head and moved away from the intimate embrace. She flashed him a brilliant smile that left him breathless. “No, I just don’t care for ghost stories.”

  Will took her hand again and ran a thumb across her knuckles before walking further down the beach in the direction of her house. “Isn’t the study of history really just a study in ghost stories?”

  Mikayla straightened her posture and disengaged her hand. “Of course not!” Her tone was sulky, and she crossed her arms across her breast in a defensive posture. “The study of history is a study of people and places, of the past. Ghost stories are told over camp fires to children to scare the wits out of them.” She looked at Will in the darkness through a layer of lashes. “There is a huge difference.”

  Will rolled his eyes. “Oh, of course!” When she smacked his shoulder with her sandals, he just laughed aloud.

  Mikayla scowled at him through the darkness. Then, she shrieked as Will’s strong arms wrapped around her waist and threw her over his shoulder. Mikayla’s sandals fell into the sand as she beat her fists against the taunt muscles of his back. His laughter and her shrieks echoed along the empty beach as he pounded into the surf carrying her. Will ordered Mikayla to take a deep breath just as a huge waved crashed over them.

  Mikayla surfaced from the froth of the water sputtering curses in four different languages. Wil
l laughed again and spun her in a circle, upside down, across his shoulder. She pounded her fists against his back with little effect and ducked her head again as another wave washed over them. When they surfaced again, Will swung her down until she stood unsteadily on her own feet, light waves lapping at her feet. His laughter rang throughout the darkness.

  Mikayla’s curls hung limply around her head, matted by the sea water. Her teal blouse clung to her skin and her skirt wrapped itself around her legs. Her eyes were bright with laughter and enjoyment of the moment. She pushed her hair from her face and tried to scowl up at him as the moon peeked out from behind a cloud scuttling across the sky. The scowl faded quickly when the moonlight caught a glint in his blond hair, shining silver across the sand. Mikayla gave him a quick, light-hearted shove, grabbed her sandals from the sand, picked up her skirt, and raced across the sand towards her house.

  Her laughter and taunts urged Will to grab his own shoes and rush after her. His feet slid in the sand where hers were swift and light. He gained on her despite her speed. Just as Mikayla reached the deck of her house, Will’s hand grabbed hers and pulled her to a stop, hard against his chest. Her chest heaved from the exertion and her breath was shallow. She looked down at his soaked shirt clinging to his skin, outlining the muscles rippling beneath the skin. She set a hand against his chest and felt the rapid pulse of his heart beneath her palm. It raced like a thoroughbred. Fast and sure.

  Will linked their fingers in one hand and gently caressed her cheek with his other. He inhaled the scent of vanilla mixed with salt air. It intoxicated him more than the wine from dinner. His fingers itched to run through her hair and dive into her, to fill himself with her, and only her.

  Mikayla tipped her head back and looked into his eyes. They were stormy and mysterious but there was desire hidden beneath the long lashes. His emotions were hard to read as his eyes roamed over her face, her hair, neck, and entire being. Mikayla felt like she was drowning and hoped she would never be rescued.